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DNS server not responding? 15 Effective ways to fix it

DNS server not responding is an error that many Internet users often encounter when they cannot access websites. This error comes from the DNS server not processing the connection request, causing your device to not receive the necessary information to access the network. So how to fix the error effectively? Let's explore more with Antidetect Browser Hidemyacc in the article below!

1. What is the error DNS server not responding?

DNS server not responding is an error where the browser cannot connect to the DNS server.

dns server not responding
DNS server not responding is a common error when the browser cannot connect to the DNS server.

DNS acts as an electronic phone book on the Internet, translating domain names (such as www.google.com) into IP addresses that computers can recognize and process. When a DNS server fails to complete this process, a "DNS server isn't responding" message appears. As a result, you won't be able to access websites or Internet services.

>>> Understanding DNS: Types, Security, and How to Prevent DNS Leaks

2. Causes of DNS server not responding error

There are many reasons that lead to DNS server not responding error message. Typical errors are as follows: 

  • Network card or Router problem. 
  • The web browser is out of date.
  •  Internet connection may be interrupted.
  • The DNS settings on the device are incorrect. 
  • Antivirus programs or firewalls can also cause connection errors.

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3. 15 ways to fix DNS server not responding error 

Depending on the specific cause of the DNS server not responding error , there will be different ways to fix it. Below are 15 simple and effective ways to fix the error that you can refer to:

3.1. Switch to another browser

If you can not access any website, it is likely that the browser you are using is faulty. Therefore, try switching to another browser. For example, if you are using Chrome and an error occurs, you can switch to Firefox or Coc Coc.

If the alternate browser can access the website normally, try resetting the settings of the current browser to fix the error. If that doesn't work, uninstall and then reinstall to restore the necessary functions.

3.2. Restart in Safe Mode

Restarting your computer in Safe Mode is one of the simple yet effective solutions to fix the DNS server not responding error .

Just follow these steps to boot your computer in Safe Mode: 

Step 1: Click on the Windows icon in the right corner and hover over the Power button.

Step 2: Here, hold down the Shift key and select Restart.

dns server not responding
Click the Windows icon > Power > Restart

Step 3: In the new window that appears, click Troubleshoot > Advanced Options.

dns server not responding
Click Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Start-up Settings > Restart

Step 4: In Advanced Options , click Start-up Settings and select Restart . Other options will appear, you can select item 4 or 5 to enable Safe Mode or enable Safe Mode depending on the corresponding network. Then, your computer will be restarted in Safe Mode.

Note: If you are using an operating system from Win 7 or lower, you can restart your computer in Safe Mode by accessing Power > Restart , then hold down the F8 key.

3.3. Edit the Network Address

To fix the DNS not responding error, you can apply the method of changing the Network Address. This is a solution applied by many people:

Step 1: Click the Start icon to open the Run dialog box.

Step 2: Go to Network and Sharing Center and select Change adapter settings.

dns server not responding
Go to Change adapter settings in the Network and Sharing Center window

Step 3: Right-click on the network icon in use, then select Properties . In the Local Area Connection Properties window , find the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) option and change the default DNS server to Google DNS :

  • Preferred DNS Server: 8.8.8.8 
  • Alternate DNS Server: 8.8.4.4 
dns server not responding
Change the default DNS server to Google DNS and press OK

Step 4: Select Validate settings upon exit and click OK

Step 5: Click Start > Run , type cmd.exe and press Enter to open the Command Prompt dialog box

dns server not responding
Open the Command Prompt dialog box to find and record the Physical Address

Step 6: Type the command ipconfig /all and press Enter . Then, find and write down the Physical Address . 

Step 7: In the Network and Sharing Center window , select Advanced > Network Address , enter the saved address and press OK .

dns server not responding
Enter the address you just found into the Network Address field and press OK to complete editing.

3.4. Reset DNS

If you have changed the Network Address but still get the DNS server not responding error , you can try resetting the DNS settings to default. This will help fix errors caused by incorrect or conflicting DNS settings .

To reset, follow these 3 steps :

Step 1 : Open Command Prompt by pressing Windows + R key combination , then type cmd.exe .

Step 2 : Enter the following commands in turn and press Enter after each command:

  • ipconfig /flushdns
  • ipconfig /registerdns
  • ipconfig /release
  • ipconfig /renew
  • netsh winsock reset

Step 3 : Restart your computer.

 

dns server not responding
Open Command Prompt and enter the commands as instructed to reset DNS

Note: The above commands will clear the current DNS settings and restore them to default.

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3.5. Adding Winsock Registries

Adding Winsock Registries keys can help fix DNS server isn't responding error effectively. Here are the steps:

Step 1 : Open Registry Editor with the Windows + R key combination , then enter the command regedit and press Enter .

Step 2 : Select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Services in turn .

Step 3 : Right-click on Winsock and select Export . Then, give the file a new name and save it.

dns server not responding
Adding Winsock Registries keys can help fix DNS server not responding error

Step 4 : Restart the device .

Step 5 : Open the Windows Registry Editor window .

Step 6 : Click in turn HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Services .

Step 7 : Select File > Import , then find and select the previously backed up Registry file and click Open .

dns server not responding
Select File > Import > backed up Registry file > Open

Step 8: Restart the device again.

Adding or restoring the Winsock Registries key will help reset the network settings to default, thereby fixing problems related to Internet connection. 

3.6. Disable NetBIOS

Disabling NetBIOS can resolve DNS server not responding errors in some cases. However, enabling or disabling NetBIOS usually does not significantly affect this error. If you are not on a home network or a business network, you can try disabling NetBIOS to see if the error is resolved.

The steps are as follows:

Step 1 : Open Control Panel and select Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center .

dns server not responding
Open the Network and Sharing Center dialog box to start fixing the DNS server not responding error.

Step 2: Double-click the network connection you are using and select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) , then select Properties .

dns server not responding
Click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) > Properties > Advanced

Step 3: Select Advanced > WINS > Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP .

dns server not responding
Continue to select WINS > Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP > OK to finish disabling NetBIOS

Step 4: Click OK , then close all windows.

3.7. Restart the system

Restarting the system is also an effective solution to fix the DNS server isn't responding error on Windows operating system. When the computer is restarted, the system will reload the necessary settings and resources. This helps restore normal computer operations and resolve minor errors, including DNS server problems.

3.8. Turn off firewalls and anti-virus software

Firewalls and antivirus programs can also cause DNS server errors. If you are having trouble connecting, you should try temporarily disabling these systems. Here are instructions for disabling firewalls and antivirus software on Windows 10:

Step 1: Click on the search bar and select Control Panel.

Step 2: In Control Panel , go to System and Security.

dns server not responding
Open the System and Security window in Control Panel

Step 3: Select Windows Defender Firewall

dns server not responding
Click on Windows Defender Firewall

Step 4: Click Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off . Then, click the option to turn off the firewall and click OK to confirm.

dns server not responding
Click the appropriate option to disable the firewall and press OK to confirm.

3.9. Clear DNS Cache

DNS Cache is responsible for storing the IP addresses of web servers you have recently visited. Therefore, clearing the DNS Cache can help your device restore Internet connection if you encounter the DNS server not responding error.

Step 1: In the search bar, type cmd to open Command Prompt as admin.

Step 2: Enter the command ipconfig /flushdns and check if the connection error is fixed.

dns server not responding
Clearing DNS Cache is an effective way to fix DNS server not responding error

3.10. Update new network driver 

Drivers play an important role in starting the operating system and controlling hardware. If not updated regularly, Drivers can affect the network connection process.

To update Network Driver, you can follow these steps:

Step 1: Search for Control Panel on the toolbar and select Device Manager.

dns server not responding
Open the Device Manager folder in the Control Panel dialog box

Step 2: Click the triangle icon to expand the Network Adapter item.

dns server not responding
Under Network Adapter, select Network Adapter and click Update Drivers

Step 3: Right-click on your Network Adapter and select Update Drivers .

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3.11. Reset and update the Router

If you have tried all of the above methods but still do not work to fix the DNS server not responding error, try turning off your router for a few minutes, then turn it on and reconnect.

If the DNS server not responding issue is still not resolved, you can reset the router. The reset button is usually located on the back of the router, near the power button and recessed. Use a toothpick or pin to hold this button for about 20 seconds, until all the lights on the router blink and turn off. Then, access the router settings using the address printed on the bottom of the device. Enter the username and password printed there, then proceed to reset according to the instructions.

dns server not responding
If the computer still has the error DNS server not responding, you should reset the Router.

3.12. TCP/IP Adjustment

TCP/IP is an important communication protocol that helps connect devices over the Internet. To set up a WiFi network connection on Windows, you can follow the steps below: 

Step 1: Open Control Panel and search for Network and Internet

Step 2: Select Network and Sharing Center , then click Change adapter settings on the left sidebar.

dns server not responding
Go to the Change adapter settings box 

Step 3: Right-click on the WiFi network you want to connect to and select Properties.

dns server not responding
Right click on the WiFi network and select Properties, then select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)

Step 4: Click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and select Properties.

Bước 5: Vào Obtain an IP address automatically và Obtain DNS server addresses automatically.

dns server not responding
Check the boxes as instructed and click OK to complete the TCP/IP adjustment.

Step 6: Press OK and restart the device to complete the adjustment.

3.13. Turn off all secondary connections 

Another method to fix DNS errors is to disable all unused secondary connections on your device.

To do this on Windows, you can follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Control Panel and select Network and Internet .

Step 2: Click Network and Sharing Center.

Step 3: Click Change adapter settings in the left column.

dns server not responding
Go to Change adapter settings, find the secondary connections with an (X) and select Disable

Step 4: In the Network Connections panel , look for the secondary connections that have a red (X) next to them.

Step 5: Right-click on each connection and select Disable , then restart the browser.

 

To disable secondary connections on macOS, do the following:

Step 1: Open the Apple menu and select System Preferences.

Step 2: Select Network.

dns server not responding
Open the Network window in System Preferences

Step 3: In the left column, select each sub-connection and click the minus (-) icon at the bottom.

dns server not responding
Select each sub-connection and click the (-) icon at the bottom to disable it.

Step 4: After you have turned off all secondary connections, restart your browser and try accessing the website again.

3.14. Turn off Windows Peer-to-Peer feature

If you are using Windows and disabling the firewall or secondary connection still does not fix the DNS server not responding error , you can try another solution which is to disable the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) feature.

Note: This feature is only available on Windows 10.

P2P allows you to download Windows updates once and then share them with other devices on your local network, saving bandwidth. However, this feature can sometimes cause DNS errors, resulting in connection errors. So, try disabling it to fix the error. 

How to do it includes the following steps:

Step 1: Click the Windows icon , then select Settings.

Step 2: Select Update & Security.

dns server not responding
Select Update & Security in Settings

Step 3: In the left window, click Delivery Optimization.

dns server not responding
Click Delivery Optimization and turn off the Allow downloads from other PC option

Step 4: Turn off the Allow downloads from other PC option.

Once done, restart your computer and visit the website to check if the error has been resolved.

3.15. Connect your laptop to Ethernet

If you are using a laptop connected to WiFi, try switching to Ethernet. If you are already using Ethernet, try unplugging the cable and plugging it back in. Wait about 30 seconds and then try connecting to the Internet.

If your computer can connect to the Internet after switching to Ethernet, this indicates that your WiFi router may be experiencing issues that result in DNS server errors. Try restarting your WiFi or reinstalling it. 

DNS server not responding error is a common and annoying error when you access the website. Although there are many causes of this error, most of them can be handled with simple solutions. Hopefully, the 15 solutions in this article will be useful for you. If you need more information, please contact Hidemyacc immediately for support!

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